Ergothioneine attenuates varicocele-induced testicular damage by upregulating HSP90AA1 in rats

This study investigates the therapeutic effect and the underlying mechanisms of ergothioneine (EGT) on the testicular damage caused by varicocele (VC) in vivo, in vitro, and in silico. This preclinical study combines a series of biological experiments and network pharmacology analyses. A total of 18 Sprague Dawley (SD) male rats were randomly and averagely divided into three groups: the sham-operated, VC model, and VC model with EGT treatment (VC + EGT) groups. The left renal vein of the VC model and the VC + EGT groups were half-ligated for 4 weeks. Meanwhile, the VC + EGT group was intragastrically administrated with EGT (10 mg/kg). GC1 and GC2 cells were exposed to H₂O₂ with or without EGT treatment to re-verify the conclusion. The structure disorder of seminiferous tubules ameliorated the apoptosis decrease in the VC rats receiving EGT. EGT can also increase the sperm quality of the VC model rats (p < 0.05). The exposure to H₂O₂ decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis of GC1 and GC2 cells, which was revisable by adding EGT to the plates (p < 0.05). The network pharmacology and molecular docking were conducted to explore the potential targets of EGT in VC, and HSP90AA1 was identified as the pivotal gene, which was validated by western blot, immunohistochemistry, and RT-qPCR both in vivo and in vitro (p < 0.05). Overall, EGT attenuates the testicular injury in the VC model both in vivo and in vitro by potentially potentiating the expression of HSP90AA1.     

Significance of Liquid Biopsy for Monitoring and Therapy Decision of Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: Despite therapeutic improvements, all patients with nonresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) acquire resistance to treatment probably due to the growth of mutated clones. In contrast to tissue-based studies, liquid biopsies have enabled the opportunity to reveal emerging resistance to treatment by detecting mutated clones and noninvasively monitoring clonal dynamics during therapy. METHODS: The courses of three patients with mCRC who were initially RAS wild-type were monitored longitudinally using liquid biopsy with long-term follow-up of up to 20 sequential samples. Detection of fragmented RAS mutated circulating cell-free DNA (cf)DNA in plasma was performed by BEAMing. In addition, plasma digital droplet PCR was used to detect and quantify BRAF and PIK3CA mutated cfDNA. Changes of mutational load were correlated with imaging data. RESULTS: A combination of liquid biopsy and radiological imaging enabled visualization of the occurrence of clonal redistribution after discontinuation of anti-EGFR mAb therapy, as well as emerging RAS mutations during therapy with anti-EGFR mAb indicating resistance. Furthermore, we found that growth of RAS mutated clones is independent of direct selective pressure by anti-EGFR therapy, which is a significant and new finding of this study. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated the whole spectrum of clonal selection and redistribution of mutated cell clones leading to acquired resistance. Given our observation that the growth of RAS mutated clones can evolve even in the absence of anti-EGFR mAb therapy, there is a clear imperative to monitor RAS mutations in serial blood draws in all RAS wild-type patients in general and independent of the therapy.     

Phylogenetic analysis of the stress-70 protein family

The eukaryotic cyto-/nucleoplasmatic 70-kDa heat-shock protein (HSP70) has homologues in the endoplasmic reticulum as well as in bacteria, mitochondria, and plastids. We selected a representative subset from the large number of sequenced stress-70 family members which covers all known branches of the protein family and calculated and manually improved an alignment. Here we present the consensus sequence of the aligned proteins and putative nuclear localization signals (NLS) in the eukaryotic HSP70 homologues. The phylogenetic relationships of the stress-70 group family members were estimated by use of different computation methods. We present a phylogenetic tree containing all known stress-70 subfamilies and demonstrate the usefulness of stress-70 protein sequences for the estimation of intertaxonic phylogeny. Correspondence to: S.A. Reusing     

小菜蛾热休克蛋白基因的鉴定及其表达模式分析

热休克蛋白(heat shock protein, HSP)在昆虫应对外界胁迫刺激时起着重要作用。为了系统研究小菜蛾Plutella xylostella HSP基因家族, 根据家蚕的HSP蛋白序列, 采用本地Blast程序对小菜蛾全基因组数据库进行同源序列检索, 从小菜蛾基因组数据库中鉴定了25个HSP基因, 包括2个HSP90、 8个HSP70和15个sHSP（small heat shock protein, sHSP）基因。小菜蛾、 家蚕Bombyx mori、 黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster和赤拟谷盗Tribolium castaneum的HSP系统进化分析显示, 昆虫的小分子量热休克蛋白sHSP具有很强的种属特异性, HSP70家族的保守性比sHSP强。小菜蛾HSP基因表达模式分析显示, 与敏感品系对比, 抗性品系（抗毒死蜱和抗氟虫氰品系）中HSP基因具有不同的表达模式。小菜蛾1, 2和3龄幼虫HSP基因表达模式较为接近, 而与4龄幼虫中的表达模式相差较大; 4龄幼虫和蛹中的表达模式相近; 雌成虫和雄成虫中的表达模式显著不同, 与果蝇精子形成有关的两个热休克蛋白HSP23和HSP27基因［分别为CCG003980.1 (Px23.5)和CCG005412.2 (Px27.5)］, 在小菜蛾雄成虫中的表达量显著高于雌成虫。研究结果表明小菜蛾HSP基因不仅在杀虫剂抗性、 发育分化, 甚至在生殖上均可能起着重要的作用。本研究为深入研究小菜蛾HSP与生长发育、 抗逆行为的相互关系奠定了基础。     

热休克蛋白质70对大鼠肝脏缺血再灌注后NOS活力的影响

目的为探讨热应激预处理对肝脏缺血再灌注损伤的保护作用的机制,采用局部热应激处理诱导热休克蛋白质(HSP70)的表达,检测了HSP70对肝脏缺血再灌注时NOS活力的影响。方法将实验大鼠随机分为热应激预处理组与非预处理组,对比观察两组动物肝脏缺血再灌注后0、4、8、12、24h期间内肝脏HSP70的表达、NOS活力及血清乳酸脱氢酶(lactate dehydrogenase,LDH)的活性与肝脏组织学改变。结果热应激预处理组HSP70的表达水平均比非预处理组同一时间点高,而NOS活力及血清LDH的活性较非预处理组低。与非预处理组比较,经热应激预处理肝组织损伤较轻。结论热应激预处理诱导产生的热休克蛋白70保护肝脏缺血再灌注损伤的作用途径之一可能是通过抑制NO的产生,从而降低大量自由基对肝脏的损害。     

Radiofrequency radiation does not induce stress response in human T-lymphocytes and rat primary astrocytes

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are rapidly induced by a variety of stressors, including heat shock, ethanol, heavy metals, UV, and gamma-radiation. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are also involved in the stress transduction pathways in all eukaryotes. In this study, we attempted to determine whether radiofrequency (RF) radiation is able to induce a non-thermal stress response. Human T-lymphocyte Jurkat cells and rat primary astrocytes were exposed to 1763 MHz of RF radiation at an average specific absorption rate (SAR) of either 2 W/kg or 20 W/kg, for 30 min or 1 h. Temperature was completely controlled at 37 +/- 0.2 degrees C throughout the exposure period. The sham exposures were performed under exactly identical experimental conditions without exposure to RF radiation. We assessed alterations in the expression of HSPs and the activation of MAPKs in the RF-exposed cells. No detectable difference was observed in the expression levels of HSP90, HSP70, and HSP27. The phosphorylation status of MAPKs, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases (JNK1/2), or p38, did not change significantly. In order to determine whether RF radiation can promote the effects of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) on stress response, cells were exposed to RF radiation coupled with TPA treatment. When TPA alone was applied, the MAPKs were found to be phosphorylated in a dose-dependent manner. However, RF radiation did not result in any enhancement of TPA-induced MAPK phosphorylation. Neither TPA nor RF radiation exerted any detectable effect on the induction of HSPs. These results indicate that 1763 MHz RF radiation alone did not elicit any stress response, nor did it have any effect on TPA-induced MAPK phosphorylation, under our experimental conditions.     

(25S)-Cholesten-26-oic acid derivatives from an Indonesian soft coral Minabea sp.

(25S)-3-Oxocholesta-1,4-dien-26-oic acid (1) and a new (25S)-18-acetoxy-3-oxocholesta-1,4-dien-26-oic acid (2) were isolated from a soft coral Minabea sp. (cf. aldersladei) collected in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, together with two known cholic-acid-type compounds, 3-oxochol-1,4-dien-24-oic acid (3) and 3-oxochol-4-en-24-oic acid (4). The structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic data. The absolute stereochemistry at C-25 of 2 was determined by comparative ¹H NMR study using chiral anisotropic reagents [(S)- and (R)-phenylglycine methyl esters]. This is the first to report compound 1 as a natural product.